Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
On Tuesday night David Peterson faced off against the Baltimore Orioles to open up a two-game series at Camden Yards and the result was an unfortunate for the Mets.
Peterson ended up going just 2 2/3 innings while allowing four runs off eight hits and one walk. Peterson’s ERA on the season now stands at 6.32 and it continues to trend in the wrong direction. His WHIP is at 1.51, which has ballooned from last year’s 1.21.
After the game Mets manager Luis Rojas said that Peterson will in fact make his next scheduled start for the Mets, despite his current struggles.
Early on in the game, Peterson actually looked like he could be heading towards a strong start, as he danced around some shaky infield defense to keep the Orioles off the board in the first inning.
After getting Cedric Mullins to ground out to Francisco Lindor to start the game, Peterson got Trey Mancini to hit a grounder to James McCann. For the first time, McCann showed his inexperience at first base, fumbling the grounder, although it was ultimately ruled an infield single.
With Manicini on first, Peterson walked Anthony Santander to put two runners, before getting what should been an inning-ending double play. Second baseman Jose Peraza fielded the groundball cleanly, but as Lindor tried to make the turn he struggled to find the base initially, delaying the relay throw a bit which made it a closer play at first.
Upon replay review it became clear the throw still beat Ryan Mountcastle at first, yet the call on the field of safe stood after the Mets challenged the play. Despite his bad luck, Peterson was able to pitch his way out of the jam, getting Freddy Galvis to ground out to Jonathan Villar to end the inning and strand two runners.
From that point on though, the Orioles had no problems plating runners.
In the second inning, Pat Valaika doubled in Maikel Franco and Pedro Severino, which was followed up by an RBI double from the red-hot Mullins. In the third inning Valaika doubled again, driving in Galvis and Severino which sealed Peterson’s poor outing.
“We need to get him right, we need David Peterson. The stuff is there, we just need to work and get this kid right,” said Rojas.
It’s hard to find a silver lining in this start, but the fact that Peterson was able to strike out four batters in 2 2/3 innings shows that there is still some quality stuff there as Rojas alluded too.
His strikeouts are up this year as he’s averaging 9.9 K/9. Peterson may just be enduring the dreaded sophomore slump, but it is fair to say his place on the roster is less secure than it was after his last stellar outing against the Tampa Bay Rays nearly a month ago.
The fact that Rojas had to answer the question about whether Peterson would make his next start at the big league level shows that a demotion could be in the cards for the 25-year-old if he can’t make an adjustment soon.
